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So Saturday, May 17th, was the last day of FIT’s Precollege classes. It was so sad saying goodbye to my classmates and my professors, and I’m really going to miss being at FIT. I sadly won’t be able to attend the summer courses.

However, this isn’t really the end, because I’m coming to FIT in the fall. It’s so exciting to know that this isn’t “goodbye”, it’s just “I’ll see you soon”. I told my professors I’ll be visiting them next fall (more like harassing them non-stop), and my friends, although they are not coming to FIT next fall, will be taking more Precollege classes, so they can always stop by.

These Precollege classes were so amazing. I learned so much in such a short amount of time, and I had so much fun. I cannot fully express how much I enjoyed classes this semester. To anyone who wants to learn about the fashion industry or is considering going to FIT: take Precollege classes! You won’t regret it.

I really do believe that FIT is the best fashion school out there. August 18th (orientation) cannot come quickly enough. I’m counting down the days (literally, I have an app that counts down the days) until I move in.

So this isn’t the end of my time at FIT; it is just the beginning.

This is, however, the end of my time blogging for FIT’s Precollege blog. Thank you all for reading. This won’t be the last you hear of me though. ;)

We’ve been focusing on brand imaging and positioning a lot in my fashion merchandising class. A brand’s image is created within the minds of people, consisting of all the information and expectations associated with a product or the company providing it. It is a much more complex area of fashion than it may initially seem to be. When considering a brand’s image, you must consider:

brand purpose

the brand’s character, core brand values, and behaviors

how consistently the brand tells a story

how the consumer perceives the brand

how the merchandise correlates to the brand image

Last week, we went to the flatiron district (check out my post Shopping Guide: Part Deux). We were assigned to pick 4 stores that had merchandise that directly correlated to the brand’s image, and then pick one item from each store that stood out to us and talk about how each product represented the brand’s image while referring to fabric, print, colors, silhouette, design, and differentiation points.

I love reading my fellow Precollege bloggers’ posts, and when I read Sophia’s post on fitting fashion into high school, I couldn’t help but feel a little envious. I’ve always wished I had gone to a creative school in Manhattan. Instead, I go to a public school in the suburbs of Long Island where all the money gets poured into a science research program that still can’t compete with those of some of the schools around.

Fashion is something I have always loved and felt a deep passion for. However, where I live, creativity really isn’t an admirable trait. The creative ones are discouraged from being who they really are; in fact, they are encouraged to pursue other interests. The creative ones are coincidentally the ones with bright blue hair and 10 different piercings, labeling them as the “art freaks”. Parents of the “art freaks” are looked down upon, since they did not raise their children in the same conservative way that the rest did.

The only respected kids are the ones that want to be doctors and lawyers; the ones that got into the Ivys (and the like) get a congratulatory hug from basically all of the school’s staff, while those going to art or fashion schools get a meek smile at best.

I used to succumb to the standards that were set upon me. My parents are very conservative, and I used to follow suit. However, this past month in Manhattan, as well as my classes at FIT, have taught me so much. Loving art or fashion is not a bad thing. Being creative is just as impressive as being good at math or science. Maybe it is even more impressive, since the creative ones are able to survive being torn down time and time again. I was never into math or science. I wanted to read, and write, and design. I wanted to create. I’ve finally accepted who I am and who I’m not.

Hiding myself away only made me miserable. Ever since I have started being more real with myself, I’ve been so much happier. I can’t wait to go to FIT this fall. I can’t wait to be in a place where I am fully accepted for who I am, what I love, and what I’m good at. I am so excited; I feel like I’m finally going to find my niche.

But something even more important that finally getting to go somewhere where I finally fit in is the realization that I should have never let other people get to me. I should have always just been myself. I should have never have tried to hide away the part of myself that so desperately wanted to be free.

I apologize for being so cliché, but don’t be ashamed of who you are. Once you really accept yourself and embrace who you truly are, others will follow suit. The only way to be truly happy in life is to be who you really are, not what other people want you or expect you to be.

Now I’m not saying that piercings and unnaturally colored hair necessarily correlate with being creative or loving art, but I have always wanted to have purple hair…

So after reading about all the fun things we do in the city in the Precollege programs, like shopping trips and walks on the High Line and whatnot, you’re probably wondering if we actually do any serious work. Yes. We do.

For example, for my fashion merchandising class we were assigned to head to Meatpacking (check out the post I wrote about Meatpacking) and shop around the stores, not for clothes, for trends. We went to over 10 different stores for the assignment, and I think I speak for everyone in my class when I say it was an amazing day.

However, when the day was over, it was time to get serious and prepare a presentation on a few of the stores we visited. We had to analyze the fabrics used (whether natural or synthetic), the prints and colors of the clothes, as well as the sizing, the silhouette, and any details on the clothes (such as buttons, zippers, ruffles, asymmetrical hems, etc.). Lastly, we had to summarize the overall trends of each store to come to a conclusion as to what we believe are the most prevalent trends of this spring for womenswear.

So a few weeks ago, for my fashion merchandising class, we went to Meatpacking. I was inspired to write a little shopping guide centered around it. This past Saturday, for the same class, we went to the Flatiron District. I had such a great time, and went to so many great stores, I’m writing another shopping guide – a shopping guide for the Flatiron District!

As you can see, we only stayed on 5th avenue. There are so many more stores, but these are the only ones I can personally say were amazing.

Club Monaco was recently redone, and it was so beautiful! I really recommend you drop by and see for yourself (and obviously do some shopping)!

After you are done shopping, head to Eataly on 200 5th Ave for something to eat. It is so amazing! I had never been before, but I went with my friends Betsy, Emma, and Catherine (another one of the Precollege bloggers) and I’m so happy I got to. I didn’t get a chance to try it, but I’ve heard there is amazing gelato! I can’t wait to go back so that I can try it. If you’re in the area, stop by and try some – do it for me!

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